Chart file



Oct. 10, 1961 E. E. LA VIGNE 3,003,648

CHART FILE Filed April 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.|

INVENTOR.

EUGENE E. LAVIGNE W'KKEQL ATTORNEY r Oct. 10, 1961 E. E. LA VIGNE CHART FILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 30, 1959 FIG.7

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mmvrozc EUGENE E. LAVIGNE 3% W-flp ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,003,648 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 3,003,648 CHART FILE Eugene E. La Vigne, Creve Coeur, Mo., assignor, by

mes'ne assignments, to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 810,007

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-144) This invention relates in general to storage files and, more particularly, to a chart file of drum character.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drum-shaped or cylindrical chart file adapted to freely rotate about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially-opening compartments for ready reception therein and withdrawal therefrom of individual files.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chart file of the nature stated having an enlarged, readily accessible central storage zone radially inwardly of the compartments for enhancing the versatility of th file.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a chart file which may be most economically produced, having a minimum of parts comprising sheet sections which, as a result of the uniquely assembled relationship of the constituent elements, may be of relatively reduced gauge for cost-saving purposes without diminishing the over-all sturdiness of the structure.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a chart file which is reliable in operation and durable in usage and which is adapted for efiicient, volume production as novel, easily manipulated inter-engaging means are incorporated.

Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings (2 sheets) wherein FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a chart file constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal transverse section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a verticfl transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is an elevation-a1 view of another form of chart file constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, showing the same partially broken away. I

Referring now by reference characters to the drawings, A designates a chart file of the type adapted primarily for hospital and allied usage for receiving patients chants and tion of a central opening 10 therein. Carried on pivot rod'4 and immediately beneath bearing 6 is a spacer 11 for maintaining bearing 6 spacedly from the upper end of upright 2.

Upper bearing 6 is similarly fixed within a cup-shaped bearing holder 12 which is upwardly opening and having an out-turned peripheral flange 13 for rigid engagement, as by welding, upon the upper face of an annular top plate 14 and, more specifically, about the marginal portion of a central opening 15 thereof, said latter being aligned with opening 10 of plate 9. The upper end of pivot rod 4 protrudes above top plate 14 and presented between plates 9, 14 in encircling relation to pivot rod 4 and bearing holders 7, 12 is a tubular pivot rod cover or casing 16 for supporting top plate 14 in predetermined spacing above plate 9. The lower end edge of said pivot rod cover 16 rests on the upper surface of plate '9 while its upper end edge abuts the under surface of plate 14. Engaged on the upper, protruding end of pivot rod 4 is a washer 17 and screw 18 for holding top plate 14 rigidly against cover 16.

Plate 9 incorporates a depending flange or skirt 19 formed, as through spinning, to present a lower, outwardly flaring portion 20 the edge of which is suitably rolled or rounded as at 21. Concealing the upper surface of top plate 14 and the upper end of pivot rod 4 is an annular cover plate 22, formed likewise as by spinning for preferably matching, contour-wise, base plate 9 and thus having a central crown portion 23 spacedly above top plate 14, and a flange 24 of like character as flange 19. Said cover plate 22 is rigid with top plate 14, as by Welding to the outer or peripheral edge thereof, asat 25 (see FIGURE 5).

. Thus, plates 9, 14 and 22 constitute an integrated assembly adapted to be rotated or spun as a unit about pivot rod 4, with the force therefor being applied by the user so as to present any selected portion of such assembly for convenient disposition relative to the user. The plates 9, 14 define the lower and upper limits of a storage space which is compartmented for orderly reception and safekeeping in a manner to be now described.

Each plate 9, 14 is provided with a series of vertically registering circumferentially spaced apart, outer apertures 26, 26' respectively, being disposed on the same radius, proximate the outer edges of the respective plates. However, it will be noted that the series of apertures 26, 26' do not proceed entirely around the circumference of the respective plates 9, 14 but each such series incorporates terminal openings 26a, 26b spaced apart through ,a substantial angle to provide an imperforate zone or section B. Radially inwardly spaced from each opening 26, 26' in plates 9, 14 is an inner aperture 28,

being of a general drum or cylinder form rotatable about i a vertical axis; said chart file comprising a base 1 supporting a tubular upright or post 2 having within its upper end portion a spacer bushing 3 disposed surroundingly of the lower end of a pivot rod 4, there being a pin 5 extending transversely through aligned openings in said upright 2, bushing 3 and pivot rod 4 for maintaining said rod against rotation' (See FIGURE 4.) Said pivot rod 4 extends upwardly beyond the upper end of upright 2 for projection through a pair of vertically spaced apart, lower and upper radial thrust bearings'6, 6', said lower bearing 6 being fixed within a downwardly opening, cupshaped bearing holder 7 having an out-turned peripheral flange 8 for securement, as by welding, to the under face of an annular base plate 9 and about the marginal por- 28, respectively, which are in vertically registering relationship and, being on a relatively reduced radius will be more closely spaced than said aperture 26, 26. Each pair of radially aligned apertures 26, 28 in plate 9' together with the related register-ing apertures 26', 28 in plate 14 cooperate for comprising what might be considered a set for receiving the plate-engaging elements of a partition member 29. Each partition member 29 is fabricated preferably of sheet metal, such as alu-. minum, and comprises a central, flat web 30 of such height as to abut against plates 9, 14 at its lower and upper edges, respectively. The side or vertical edge portions of web 30 are rolled or otherwise formed to provide tubular elements or posts 31, 31' each of which projects at its ends beyond, the adjacent edges of the related web in FIGURE 5. Said elements 31, 31 render Web 30 resistant to deformation and thus strengthen each partition so that the gauge thereof may be minimum, and furthermore, in being formed integrally with webs 30 facilitate production and permit marked economy thereof. As indicated above, elements 31, 31' are merely passed through the related openings in plates 9, 14 and are, thus, in no way engaged or connected to said plates so that the assembling of file A may be easily and quickly effected, as no time-consuming, close-fitting interengagements are required. In order to prevent any undesired relative vertical displacement of plates 9, 14 in their outer portions, tie rods 32 may be inserted through the bores of various partitioned elements 31, such as every fifth one as shown in FIGURE 3, with nuts 33 being engaged upon the projecting ends thereof. Thus, a minimum number of tie rods 32 enhance the rigidity of the structure by presenting plates 9, 14 tightly against the abutting edges of the webs 30 of each partition member 29.

With reference to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that adjacent partitions 29 cooperate with the intervening portions of top and bottom plates 9; 14 to define a generally wedge-shaped compartment 34. It is apparent that the dimensions of such compartments may be varied as desired, but it has been found that with a spacing of about 1%; inches between the outer paired elements 31 and inch between the inner paired elements 31, together with a height, between plates 9, 14, of about 12 inches, the same are suitably adapted for convenient reception and withdrawal of hospital patients charts, which may have the customary metallic covers; with the reduced width of the inner end serving to restrain against over-insertion of a chart so that the same may not be inadvertently placed beyond easy reach.

Due to the spacing of inner apertures 28, 28 from center openings 10, of related plates 9, 14, a substantially annular, non-compartmented chamber 35 will immediately surround pivot rod casing 16, which chamber is in communication with the exterior through the imperforate zone B whereby a readily accessible, enlarged storage area is provided for materials and objects not necessarily as frequently handled as the charts. Furthermore, in the event any loose papers or the like were accidentally displaced from the related charts through the inner open ends of said compartments 34, the same could be easily retrieved from said chamber 35. The partition members 29 confronting zone B, being those received in terminal openings 27, 27 may have mounted on their outer faces a suitably formed sheet metal section 36 for defining a pocket 37 for pens, pencils, and other associated devices.

Provided on the flaring portion of flange 19, in alignment with each partition 29, is a card-retaining device 38 comprising a flat body section 39 on the inward face of which is formed a central spacer 40 integral with a pair of deformable prongs 41 for extension through an opening 42 in said flange and with the projecting portions thereof'bcing bent away fromeach other for securing the associated retaining device 38 inposition. Thus, each card-retaining device 38 cooperates with the adjacent devices 38, on either side, for holding an indicator card (not shown) for the compartment immediately above, with one edge portion of such card being received between body section 39 and flange 19 in endwise abutment against the confronting side surface of spacer 40. Said card-retaining devices 38 may be readily formed from plastic material and are thus positioned without resort to extraneous fastening members such as nuts, and the like, as used heretofore for such members-j If desired, another form of chart file, as shown at D in FIGURE 7 may be provided in accordance with the present invention, and which embodies an upper and lower tier 50,]60Iof compartments 34. From a knowledge of chart filef A above described, the construction of file D will be readily apparent as each tier 50,60 is of like construction with the corresponding portion of file A. However, the distinction between file D and file A resides in the provision of a single, elongated pivot rod 4 about which each tier 50, 60 is adapted for independent rotative movement and in the bottom plate 9" of upper tier 50 simultaneously serving as the cover plate for top plate 14' of lowertier 60 so that each tier is free to be turned about rod 4; It is recognizedthat the base and upright 1', Z'respcctively of saidfile D differ from the corresponding elements of file A bot the distinction therebetwcen is merely a matter of choice since either form may be adapted for floor or table-disposition by effecting commensurate elongation or shortening of the upright with appropriate modification of the base for support thereof, all being within the scope'of the present invention.

It will be further recognized that the construction oftchart file D indicates that other files having more than two tiers may be produced in accordance with the constructions hereinabove described as basically the tiers are merely duplicatory so that as many tiers may be integrated in a single structure as desired.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the chart file may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A chart file comprising a pivot rod, a pair of vertically spaced apart, paralleLhorizontally presented annular plates, axially normal to said rod and disposed thereon, said plate having apertures provided therein, bearing means for rotating said plates about said rod, a plurality of horizontally spaced apart wall-forming members extending between said plates and being presented radially thereof, each wall-forming member comprising a web portion of substantially the same extent as the distance between the plates andtubular side elements integrally formed with said web and projecting at their ends beyond the adjacent end edges of said web and extending through the apertures of the said plate, means extending through selected tubular side elements for integrating said plates and wall-forming members into a unified structure, the inner edge portions of the wallforming members being spaced from the central portion of the plates for defining a central storage chamber, said wall-forming members being more closely spaced at their inner ends than their outer ends fordefining a plurality of generally wedge-shaped open-ended compartments whereby at their narrower inner end said 'compartments will communicate with the. central storage area and at their outer, wider ends will communicate with the exterior. V

2. A chart-file comprising, a pivot rod, a pair of vertically spaced apart, parallel, horizontally presented annular plates axially normal to said rod, and disposed thereon, bearing means for rotating saidfplatesjabout said rod, a plurality of horizontally spaced apart wall-fonning members extending between said plates and being presented radially thereof, each of said wall-forming mem bers comprising a web'portion of substantially the same extent as the distance between the plates and having tubular side elements'integrally formed with said web and projecting at their ends beyond the adjacent end edges of said webs, each of said plates having a plurality of registering apertures circumferentially arranged in an inner and outer series, said tubular side elements extending through the apertures of said plates, said apertures in said innerseries being more closely spaced than said apertures in said outer series, whereby adjacent wallforming members will be more closely spaced at their inner ends than at their outer ends and said members will cooperate to form a plurality of generally wedgeshaped, openended compartments, and a tie rod pro;

jecting through selected side elements of said wall-forming members for securing the plates and wall-forming members into a unitary structure for rotation about the pivot rod.

3. In a chart file having a pair of spaced apart plates, at least one of said plates being provided with a peripheral flange, and said peripheral flange having a plurality of spaced apart openings, the improvement comprising a card-retaining device for disposition upon said peripheral flange and having a flat body portion, a member provided substantially centrally on the inner face of said body portion having a spacer section for maintaining said body portion spacedly from said flange and engaging means formed with said spacer and projecting through an opening of said peripheral flange for engaging said body portion thereon, whereby the opposite side portions of said body portion will be spaced from the flange 6 for reception therebetween of the edge portions of an indicating card.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 574,482 Hastings Ian. 5, 1897 1,112,506 Weiss Oct. 6, 1914 1,213,026 Sande Jan. 16, 1917 1,628,128 Dunn May 10, 1927 1,694,310 Butler Dec. 4, 1928 1,755,477 Hunyady Apr. 22, 1930 1,930,844 Ruddell Oct. 17, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 274,175 Switzerland June 16, 1951 815,395 Germany Oct. 1, 1951 

